Art of treating starch, and product.



A. P. ANDERSON. ART OF TfiEATING STAROH AND PRODUCT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1906.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

WTEII) STATES @PATENT easier. 1

ALEXANDER P. ANDERSOiT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS;

0F TREATING STABCH, AND PBOIDUCT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER P. A nnnson, a citizen of the United States, IQSlding at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Art of Treating 1 suitable -mil1,'as is. so the the'drum; and, Fig. .5 -is :l, aon' f Mm-FigA.

Starch, and Product, of which thefollowing' is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of time specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the art oftreating starches, and to a new starch-product.

Thejobject of m invention is to provide a new and improve recess of treating starch to obtain in a ra economical and efiicient manner 'a pow ered starch; and also to produce a starch product having novel and valuable characteristics.

In carrying out the process in the preferred manner, the material, such as the ordinary owdered starch of commerce or wdere starch mixed with lumps, is sub- I 1ee'ted to treatment in a closed receptacle,

provision being made toheat the receptacle and preferably also to rotate the same to admit steam thereto, and withdraw vapors therefrom. Furthermore for the purpose of pufiing or swelling the 'material, and some means might be arranged to suddenly reduce the pressure surrounding the material, though otherfl'methods of putting might be employed. If desired the pufied product may be ground, andpreferably also bolted to produce a new powdered starch.

In the accompanying drawing, I show an apparatusin which the material may be treated, up to the grinding orulverizing stage, the latter bei accom lis ed b any olting, if the latter step be performed. 7 Figure'l is a side viewof the piping together with a longitudinal sectional eleva-- tion of the drumesu f ort'lin the even, :the latter-*zbeing' indica in dotted dines; .Fig'. 2 is agre ar. end 'view :of th'e'airangement shown .in Fig, 1;; F 3 shows the drum'in charging and discharging positions ,the latter positionbeingindicated in det-tedlines; Fig. 4 is -a .seetibnal' view of 'the rearvefliof.

The masses) Joe-treated pans fa-dmmitemipt d ra i reer :a';

Specification of tLctters Iatent. Patented Aug, 20, 1912; Application .filed August 31, 1906. Serial-No. 832,805.

pable of being rolled about and brought to the various parts .of the ap aratus for handling. The car .consists 0 two side members 3, 3, having a trunnion at extending therebetween at the rear end, a shaft of axle 5 connects the forward ends-of said members. Small wheels or rollers 6 are mounted outside of the members 3, uon the projecting ends of trunnion 4 and s aft. 5. The cars run on a track 7 within the even,

consisting of four rails fastened to the side of the cage 8. At each end of the oven is a ring 9 having teeth outside forming a 7 gear, which meshes with another {gear 10 to rotate the cage' The-gears 10 and'rollers 11 su port the cage and inclosed drum, in ad 'tion .to causing rotation thereof by any'suitable plowerapplied to one of their supporting s afts outside of the oven. After the drum has been .run intothe oven,

a'steam-connectionris made at 12, thus adnnttmg steam to thefiattened pipe 13 insideof the drum. The steam escapes into the drum through numerous 'holes 14 in the pipe, said holes becoming more frequent in 'proportion to the 7 drop 1n pressure as the steam advances.

By means of the-gears Qand 10 the cage a closing the valve 15" and opening valve 15, i the pressure in the drum may be brought to any-desired point, as shown :by gage 16. To 3 reduce the pressure in the drum, valve 15 1 may bec1osed,and 15 opened, whereby the 1 pressure escapes "into the; atmosphere. Thus, I by proper valveman-ipulation the 'conditions of pressure-and tem erature in the,

controlled ab- 1 drum .maybe regulated an I solutely within the desired-limits. It will Zby'gas. r

zclosed, 'a-suitable'soft-metal gasket eing 3 inits fmme. lmondertliatitheiheatmg ,provided .to -cause an- ,air tight connection when the drum 13.111 'the horizontal position be: 11inderstood that the oven-isiheated by any suitable or desired -means,- -a's, for-example,-

not unseal the lid, I prefer to make the drum of bronze, or some material having a higher coefficient; of expansion than the side mem-' bers of the frame.

To remove the-drum'from the oven after the heating, valve 15 is closed, the drum is disconnected atil2, and is .run. out of the oven to a raising and lowering mechanism suitably connected with thedpumthrough the arm 17. By means of this mechanism the drum is lowered-about the shaft 4 as a p igot, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

e lid 18; previously held shut by the roller- '19 suddenly flies open from internal ress' sted-by gravity, and at thesame time The puffed product is discharged sure, and the contents are. discharge a's- P u in size. with oonsiderableiorce-mto a receptacle or cage manytimes the volume of the drum.

In charging, the drum is raised by the same arm or screw 17 until it'tilts upwardl ,when

without-departing from the' scope or prin ciple of the invention.

The starch in a comminuted form, that is i 5 to sav, in the form of powder, or lumps, or pow er and lumps mixed, and containing preferably about to of water, is put into the drum in quantity sufficient to fill the same about one-half. to three-fourths full.

F reshl made starch dried out until it contains is amount of water may be used, or

- the extra percentage of water may be addedto air-dry starch in any suitable way,as,'

for example, by'spraying thewater upon the starch w ile it is being agitated, so as'to well mix it with the starch. I have found that when the water is added to air-dry starch a convenient method of distributing it evenly enough for the purpose, is to, run the whole through a sieve with a mesh :of about one-quarter inch diameter.

After the starch has been placed in the drum the latter is sealed air-tight by closing .the'l'id' and clamping it in position as exc linder, the starch is kept continually turnplained in connection'with the drawing, af ter which the. drum is placed in the oven and durin this treatment being'about 200"to b ing, and" owing to' the eat, gives off part ofits moisture in the form drum is higherthanthat of 'the starch. Ac;

eprdingly, the 'confi'ned' condenses on- .tensive the gelatinization,

of steam whereby" itsoon becomessurrounded by an-atmos-. V phere; of steam,the temperatureof which is] naturally greater than thatflof the starch; .likwise, the temperature of the walls of the than the inside of the same, the moisture even gatheringu on the lumps in the form of free waterfo sweat. Thismoisture gathers upthe loose starch powder, and ow--;;'

ing to the heat and moisture, together with the tumbling action to which the starch is subjected, the starch is all rolled up into lumps which may well be described as nodular or pebble-like, the latter terminolo being preferred. "During this stage 0. the treatment which we may term the pebbli'ng to 40 pounds per uare inch develops within the cylinder in a out 40 minutes, the time varying with that of the oven temperature.

At this pressure, all of the starch has pebbled int-o lumps of greater or less hardness, depending largely-upon the amount of water that the starch'contain'ed when put into-the drum, it being apparent that when the starch contains say 25% of water gelatinizat-ion to a. greater extent'takes place than when it contains say l5%-of water; also, the more exthe harden the pebbles. Althou h all of the starch at the end of this stage as been formed into pebbles as explained, this treatment is continued about 10 to 20' minutes longer or until a resstage of the process, a pressure of about 30' sureof about 60. pounds er square inc develops within-the cylin er.- At this pressure, the starch lumps are at atemperature of about 125- greatly hardened by the fusion and coalespence of the starch granules of which the lumps are composed. 'The-blow-otf valve of the drum is now opened slowly, that is, partly at first, and then fully open, and the pressure of the drum is thus allowed to fall slowly to zero in about 1 or 2 minutes. The blow-oif is continued for about-3 minutes. The object of blowing out all of the pressure of the cylinder is to getrid of the moisture upon the pebblesto prevent them from'sticking to ether, and also'todeodorize the starch by rid ding it of the corn odor (when corn starch is treated) as well as of any other deleterious odors to 150 C.,;and have become due to.oils,"etc., which are present in the starch, and are volatile at this temperature,-

.- It is apparent that during the biowing off, the starch pebbles lose considerable oftheir moisture, which passes out as steam. 'The blow-oftshould be c'ontimied long enough so] A as to leave the lumps free from'any excess of moisture, as explained, but 'shou1d--not,be'

continued so long that they become too dry,v

in which'ca'se, there would not belsuflicient moisture to-ca/rryout the. next ste process, to-wit', their swelling or pu g. .It

has been fouiid' that the time given above forof the l and preferablyalso to bolt this swelled contain from about 15to 25% 455- put into-the drum-in the same about one-half or three-fourthstfi The cylinder thenysealed' air-tight a'nd the blow-ofl is aboutrig ing the whole process is preferably kept'in continuous rotation, althougha short stopage would do no harm. As soon as the A low-ofl is com leted, the valve at the end of the drum is c osed, and steam is admitted to the drum by opening the steam-injection valve. The admission of steam follows immediately upon the blowing off of the presure above referred to, and

- not more than a minutetherea ter.' The geressure of the steam injected should for st results be about 17 5-pounds per square inch. This steam should 'be dried, and if sli tly superheated to insure dryness, is str 1 better. The steam is admitted until the 1 pressure within the drum is raised to about 130 pounds per square inch. When this pressure has been reached, the steam is out 20 ofi, whereupon, the pressure falls somewhat to about 120 pounds per squareinch, which should" occur in about two minutes. This decrease in pressure is due to a condensation of the steam on and inside of the pebbles.- The pressure within the drum is now suddenly reduced- 2s, for example by 0 ening the'lidand discharging the material from the drum as quickly as possible. In this we the starch pebbles are swelled or so pu ed to many times their prior size, and are rendered porous and suitable for many purposes. Thereafter I prefer to pulverize or ufied starch inany suit-able manner. his as s readily done as soon as it is cooled or dried out enoughpufied starch lumps a certain crispness,

- which. results in a rapid pulverization to fine powder. v

40* Instead of beginning the operation as above described with the starch powder of commerce, I may take the starch which has previously been pebbled, for example, the

pebbles which have been formed at the endv of the firststep in the above re cited process when the cylinder pressure was at about. 30 to- 40 pounds, and which have been taken out of the cylinder after a slow I reduction'oi the pressure through the blowof! when This product corresponds with that described. and claimed in my applicatio'n'Serial, No; 332, 04, filed Au'gust 31, This pebbled. starch, which. should amount sufiioient to fill P91 square inch'developstherewithin. Thi

ressure. is then blown steam "at about 17 5 pounds per s uare nch ht. The drum dur preferably to give the swelled or inder reaches about '130 pounds as determined by the pressure-ga e.' The steam-injection valve is now close ,the steam within the drum .condensin on and inside of the starch pebbles, for w ich reason the pressure within the drum varies to about l20 pounds in from one to two minutes. This pressure is then suddenly reduced, as before described, and the starch is discharged from the drum as quickly as possible, at the same time swelling or putting tomany times its original volume. After this swelled starch is exposed to theair for a short time,.it is pulverized and-preferably bolted to produce the new starch powder. This new powdered product as finally obtained from the preferred process, is a powder which when'examined, microscopically, even with low magnifying powers, appears difierent from'the ordinary prior starch powder in that theparticles of wh1ch it is composed are irregu--v lar in shape and-largely leaf-like, the latter being transparent when viewed by transmit ted. light.-. It contains large numbers of leaf-like disks, and some remains of town and distorted cells of the pufied lumps. Also, on account of being flaky'and leaflike when thrown or blown into the air, it does not immediately settle, but floats down i somewhat slowly and scatters over a large area. Furthermore, as thus made, the new powder has been purified by deodorization, whereas prior formsof corn starch have retained more or lessof the smell of corn-oil. In taste, als0, this absence of the flavor of corn. oil or other unpleasant flavors is not-iceable, and this is true as well when the new powder is made from starches other than corn starch. Also,owing to its flufiiness,the new starch is softfas compared with the harsh or squeaky feeling ofother starches. .When not-compressed, the new powder ocof moisture is 1 ofi slowly through e' blow ofi .valve and for a timesufiicient' to. give the starch pbblesthe ds1reddry.- when the valve is again closed 'anddr'ycupies greater bulk, approximately twice that of the same weig t of the ordinary starch-powder or flour; In other words; my new starch-powder has a" weight per volume of approximately one-half that of ,raw" or ordinary starch-powder. In bulk,'it is more 1 .or less elastic, so thatwlien placed in a :receptacle, 'itmay be compressed to a"consid-' erable extent, and hen the pressure is. removed, it tends'tospring' back toisubstantiallyit's original-'yolume. i As thus made, it 's substantially pure starch, and is takei'ifu quickly by either cold or warm iivaterflto"- rm 'apastesimilar tc boiled starch-paste,- +th at is, starch gela- 1 tiniz'ed by boiling irii wa'lter.- fI-t diifer s, how- "ever, from.thefordinarystarches, in that it forms a thin jelly-or pastewwithf'cold or i-w'a'r'mn water fwithout'flaig, ahmidre a soluble star and'maltes "an" ideal thin-boilingstarch-substitute; because :ifcan' be mixed 'qlilicklyjwith-either cold-or "hotwaterJItis "rum-more soluble'in col issuing; it is or hot syrups such as glucose or molasses, without prior boiling, forming therewith a doughy, pasty, adhesive mass, more or less elastic without theaddition of water other than that contained in thesyrups. For

-=,this' reason, it may be used in the finest kinds of'laundry work, or for other purposes where other starches having a high fluidity are necessary. The fluidity of my new starch when dissolved in cold or warm 'water is high,being about the same as that of ordinary thin-boiling starches, when such starches have been gelatinized in boiling ,water. When, however, my product thus described is dissolved and boiled like a "Ithin-boiling starch, its fluidity becomes as f high or even higher than that of the usual lithin-boiling starches-that have a high fluid- -;ity. On account of its being substantially a pure starch, its chemical reactions are cssenti-ally the same as those of pIl-Ol' starch- -paste. Also, it is adhesive when wetted,

and its starch-granules are disrupted. The fact that the starch granules have substantially all been broken up or disrupted makes i it substantially diiterent from other starch powders.

aving thus described my invention, what I"' claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1'. The herein described sub-process which ""consists in heating and tumbling the comni'nuted material containingabout .15 to per cent. moisture in a closed receptacle until adhesive nuclei or centers are formed throughout the material, then continuing the heating and tumbling-until substantially allof the loose material has been gathered ""up by the nuclei or centers into pebble-like tang-lumps, then slowly reducing the pressure within the receptacle, then subyecting the "under pressure, and then suddenly reducing this pressure, whereby the lumps become lumps thus formed to the action of steam the heating and tumbling until substantially all of theloose material has been gathered up by the n-i-iclei or centers into pebble-like lumps, then slowly reducing the pressure within the receptacle, then subjecting the lumps thus formed to the action of dry steam under pressure, and then suddenly reducing this pressure, [become puffed.

'3. The herein described sub rocess which consists in heating and .tumb ing" the comminuted material containing about 15 to 25- per cent. moisture in-aclosed. receptacle until adhesive nuclel or centers are formed within the receptacle,

come pu ed.

whereby the,'lump s.

throughout the material, then continuing the heating and tumbling until substantially 'all of the loose material has been gathered up by the nuclei or centers into pebble-like lumps, then slowing reducing-the pressure within the receptacle, then subjecting the lumps thus formed to the action of superheated steam under pressure, and then suddenly reducing this pressure, whereby the lumps become puffed-s 1 Y 4. The herein described sub-process which consistsin heating and tumbling the comminuted material containing about 15 to 25 per cent. moisture in a closed receptacleuntil a pressure of about to pounds per square inch has developed within the receptacle, whereby substantially all of the material is gathered up into pebble-like lumps, then slowly reducing the pressure then subjecting the lumps thus formed to the action of steam' until a pressure of about 130 pounds per square inch has developed within the receptacle, and then suddenly reducing this pressure, whereby the lumps become pufied.

The herein describedsub-process which consists in heating and tumbling the com minuted material contained about 15 to 25 per cent. moisture in a closed receptacle until a pressure of about 30 to 50 pounds per square inch has developed within the receptacle, whereby substantially all of the material is gathered up into pebble-like lumps, then slowly reducing the pressure within the receptacle, then subjectin the lumps thus formed to the action 0 dry steam until a pressure of about 130 pounds f per square inch has developed within the receptacle, and then suddenly reducing this pressure, whereby the lumps become puffed. 6. The herein described sub-process which consists in heating and tumbling the comunt-il a pressure of about 30 to 50 pounds per square inch has developed within .the receptacle, whereby, substantially all of the material is gathered up into pebble-like lumps, within the receptacle, lumps thus formed to then subjecting thethe action of super- ,niinuted material containing about 15 to 25 a per cent. moisture in a closed receptacle then slowly reducing the pressure heated steam until a pressure of about 130 I pounds per square inch has developed within thereceptacle, and then suddenly reducing this ressure, whereby the lumps be 7. Theprocess'of making powdered starch comminuted material containing about 15 to 25 per cent. moisture in a closed receptacle until adhesive nuclei or centers are formed throughout the material, then 'con- 'W'l1i0l1,C6nSi-StSin heating and tumbling the 1 ii tinuin the heating and tumbling until substantia ly all of the loose material is ath-- .ered upbythe nuclei'or centers into pe blelike lum s, ,Sure wit 'n the receptacle,

like lum s, then slowly'reducing the pressure wit in the receptacle, then sub'ecting the lumps thus formed to the act-ion 0 steam under pressure, then suddenly reducing this pressure, whereby the lumps become puffed, and .then .pulverlzing the pulled product.

8. The process of making powdered starch which consists in heating and tumbling the comminuted material to 25 per cent. moisture in a closed receptacle .until adhesive nuclei or centers are formed throughout the material, thencontinuing the heating and tumbling until substantially all of the loosematerial is gathered up by the nuclei or centers into pebblethen slowly reducing the presthen subjecting the lumps thus formed to the action of dry steam under pressure, then suddenly reducing this pressure, whereby the lumps become .pufied and then pulverizing the puffed product.

- 9. The process of making powdered starch which consists in heating and tumbling the comminuted material containing about 15 to 25 per cent. moisture in a closed receptacle .un'til adhesive nuclei or centers are formed throughout the material, then continuin the heating and tumbling until substantia ly all of the loose material is athered up by the nncleior centers into pe blelike lum s, then slowly reducing the pres sure wit in the receptacle, then subjecting the lumps thus formed to'the action of-sulumps become puffed, and then the puffed product.

perheated steam under pressure, then suddenly reducing this pressure, whereby the pulverlzing 10. The process of making powdered starch which consists in heating and tumbling: the comminuted material containing about 15 to 25 per cent. moisture. in a closed receptacle until a pressure of about 30 to ounds per square inch has developed withn the receptacle, whereby substantiall all f the material is gathered ,up into pe blelike lum s, then slowly reducing the pressure wit in the receptacle, then sub'ecting the lumps thus formed to the a tion 0 steam until a pressure of about 13 pounds per square inch has developed within the receptacle, then suddenly reducing this pressure, whereby the lumps become puffed, and then pulverizing the puffed product.

11. The process of making powdered starch which consists in heating 'and'tumbling the comminuted' material containingl of the material is about 15 to 25 r cent. moisture in a close receptacle unti a pressure of about 30 to 50 ounds per square inch has developed within the receptacle,

athered up into pebblelike lum s, then s owly reducing the pres-. sure'wit in the receptacle, then subjecting the lumps thus formed to the action of dry per square inch containing about 15v broken up.

whereby substantially all steam until a pressure of about 130 pounds has developed within the receptacle, then suddenly reducing this pressure, whereby the lumpsbecome puffed, and

then pulverizing the puffed roduct.

12. The process of ma ting powdered starch which consists in heating and tumbling the commmuted material containing about 15 to 25 per cent. moisture in a close receptacle until a pressure of about'30 to 50 pounds per square inch has developed within the receptacle, whereby substantially all of the material is gathered up into pebble-like lumps, then slowly reducing the within the receptacle, then subjecting the lumps thus'formed to the action of superheated steam until a pressure of about 130 pounds per square inch has developed within the receptacle, this pressure, whereb pufi'ed, and then pu product.

the lum s become verizing t e puffed ressure then suddenly reducing 13. As a new article of manufacture, a Y

starch-powder having in loose form a weight per volume of approximately one-half that of raw starch-powder.

14. As a new article of manufacture, a starchowder which in'bulk is elastic.

15. s a new article of manufacture, a starch-powder having in loose form a weight per volume of approximately one-half that of raw starch, and which in bulk is elastic.

16. As a new article of manufacture, a

powdered starch in which the starch-granules are substantially all disrupted and 17. As a new article of manufacture, a starch-powder soluble in cold or warm water to make a solution corresponding in fluidity to thin-boiling starches of average fluidity.

18. As a new .article of manufacture, a

starch-powder which when boiled in water makes asolution corresponding in fluidity to thin-boiling starches of hi hfluidity.

19. As a new article 0 manufacture,

starch in the'fo'rm of aflufiy powder having its granules disrupted.

20. .As a new article of manufacture, starch in the form of a fluffy powder having its granules disrupted, and having in loose form a weight per volume of approximately one-half that of raw starch-powder.

.21. As a new article of manufacture, starch in the form of a flufiy owder having large numbers of leaf-like di s or flakes.

22. As a new article of manufacture, a deodo'rized starch-powder. v

'23. As a new article of manufacture,'a

.deodorized starch-powder whose granules are substantially al disrupted or broken up. 24. As a new article of manufacture, a starch powder soluble in cold with an adhesive paste.

or hot syrupaf I such as glucose or molasses, forming there lac powder having in loose form a weight per scribed my name in the presence of twb volume of applaximaizlelyl l onebhfiilf th'ixt of witnesses. v raw starch pow er, W ie in u .is e astic v and in which the starch granules are sub- 7 ALEXANDER ANDERSON .5 stantially all disrupted and broken up, and Witnessesf which is soluble in cold or Warm Water. J. J AY SMITH,

Inwitness whereof, Ihave hereunto sub- JAMES RIDEOUT. 

